


Crash Landing

by Kimium



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Kingdom Hearts, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: 3rd person POV shift, Crossover, F/F, M/M, Mainly between Nagito Sora and Riku because I've been writing as Hinata way too much, Maybe? What is a oneshot? Look at this word count, Not sure where in the KH timeline this fits but definitely after KH2, One Shot, post sdr2, pure self indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-10-28
Packaged: 2019-01-25 11:03:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12529860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimium/pseuds/Kimium
Summary: Post SDR2, Crossover with Kingdom Hearts.Sometimes, Jabberwock Island was boring, their lives filled with routine. So, Komaeda trusts his luck and hopes something exciting would happen. Having a space ship and two strangers crash land on their beach wasn't exactly what he was expecting as a result, but it's what they got.





	Crash Landing

**Author's Note:**

> Look, it's the crossover fic no one but me wants! #SelfIndulgence
> 
> Okay, to those waiting on Moving... I am so sorry... I thought this story up a couple days ago and just... wrote like a speed demon. I promise, I'll get to Moving next. This story just had to be written. I had a ton of fun writing it. I mentioned this a long time ago, but I love weird crossovers to pieces. If I can find a thread to cross something over with, I will. And KH is a great series to cross things over with (seriously, crossover fodder is handed to you...), so I gave into my self indulgence and wrote this story. I know it is long, but I didn't want to split it up into two parts...
> 
> I hope you all enjoy it. I haven't written this fast in a while and even though I'm exhausted, I'm very happy with this story. Please feel free to leave kudos and comments! They always make my day!

Mornings never failed to arrive with the sun shining, burning the ground below it, searing heat and warmth until it mixed with the ocean air. Nagito could always feel the humidity clinging to him, wrapping around him in layer upon layer. His hair fluffed up more, getting wilder with each stroke of heat upon their island. Hinata had done what he could, but in the end, Nagito’s hair would forever be tamed by humidity. At first, Nagito suggested they cut his hair, but somehow, in the end, he decided against it. Hinata didn’t try to persuade him once the choice was made. Instead he would brush Nagito’s hair every morning and every evening. A brush was permanently left in their bedside table’s top drawer. Sometimes, when Hinata felt like it and Nagito wouldn’t argue, his hair would be done up somehow: ponytails, braids, buns, everything Hinata could think of. It left Nagito’s heart fluttering every time. There was a sort of intimacy when Hinata played with his hair, a level of trust that felt deeper than all the other things they’d done together.

And they’d done a lot of intimate things together. The intimate events piled on top of one another, sometimes intermingled with daily tasks, other interactions. Their days were slowly melting together, blending into a smooth congealed mass. Time had lost its impact on the island. Markers like weather were obsolete. Sometimes Nagito would throw his luck out, like a fisher throwing his line out, and hope for rainy days. Occasionally it would work and there would be a break in their lives, something new and exciting.

Sure, Kirigiri had thrown out that perhaps some day, they’d be free to move around, not be confined to the island. Nagito dreamed of that day, of a break in their daily routine. Freedom felt like a golden ticket waiting to be plucked and handed to them. The possibilities and options that opened up threatened to tackle Nagito to the ground. Where would they go? Perhaps they’d see some cities that were slowly being rebuilt. Or perhaps he’d get to see a glimpse into Hinata’s life? Future Foundation had already informed them about family or friends that miraculously survived. When they did, Hinata had silently reached for his hand, holding it tightly, securing him. It was the only thing that had kept him anchored during the rest of the conversation.

But, until then, their lives were a blur, unbound by regular conventions. It was both taxing and warming. So much of their lives had been lost to Despair. Many sleepless, restless hours when nightmares took hold, Despair clawing at their hearts and minds. The sanctuary the island offered was unconditional. It soothed them, helped them. Yet, at the same time, the soothing sanctuary sometimes morphed into a prison of static.

Sighing, Nagito glanced up at their ceiling, staring at the night sky Hinata had painted. The afternoon flooded into his mind, how Hinata got bored with the whiteness of their bedroom, how he brought paint into their cottage. The place smelt for a solid week after, but Nagito loved it. He could trace the painting, see the constellations, the detail Hinata had put in. Slowly, he reached out, hand hovering, as though he could touch their ceiling. The night breeze filtered through their ajar window, carrying coolness only the moon and stars offered.

“Nagito?” Hinata’s voice was muffled.

Nagito dropped his arm, “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No.” Hinata shifted and prompt himself up, “I was awake.” He reached over and touched Nagito’s fluffy hair, “Something on your mind?”

“Not really…” Nagito shifted, feeling their thin blankets curl around his legs, “Just admiring your ceiling.”

“Our ceiling.” Hinata corrected.

“No, your ceiling. You painted it.” Nagito muttered.

“Ninety percent of your personal items are in this cottage.” Hinata reminded him, “I’m sure at this point this cottage is ours, ceiling and all.”

Nagito snorted, “Fine… have it your way.”

“I will.” Hinata flopped back down and curled closer to Nagito, pressing his hands against Nagito’s chest, “Sure nothing is bothering you?”

Hinata’s eyes bore into him softly, the dual colour of a brown-green and red staring at him. Nagito stared back, unable to look away. Heterochromia was fascinating and while it took a bit of time to get used to, even the red of Hinata’s left eye wasn’t shocking anymore.

“Nagito?” Hinata lightly poked him.

“Ah…” Nagito swallowed and looked back at the ceiling, “I was just thinking about… routine.”

Hinata immediately hummed, “I know our days seem mutinous at times. Perhaps we need some excitement? We could do something with everyone? Plan it out?”

The way Hinata’s brain jumped six steps and got to the point… Nagito snorted. It left a small shiver down his spine, but where someone else would possibly be enamoured or annoyed, Nagito barely blinked an eye.

Instead he shook his head, toothily grinning, “No… sounds like a lot of work. Maybe I’ll just trust my luck something exciting will happen. Won’t that be more of a surprise rather than planning something?”

“Your luck…” Hinata mused before chortling lightly, “Isn’t your luck the prime example of ‘be careful what you wish for’?”

Nagito held back a laugh, “Usually, but with you here it’s been balanced, less chaotic.”

“Still not sure how they managed to give me luck…” Hinata muttered before he pulled Nagito closer, making Nagito turn his head so they were looking at each other, “But I’ll still ask everyone tomorrow if they’d like to do something together.”

“Have it your way.” Nagito said with a small smile. “Good night Hajime.”

“Good night Nagito.” Hinata leaned over and pressed a light kiss to Nagito’s lips, “Sleep well.”

Hinata shifted, making sure his arms were still around Nagito, holding him loosely. Nagito smiled and felt Hinata’s breathing slowly even out, his chest a beat against Nagito’s shoulder as a rhythm began. Light puffs of air escaped his mouth in cute, light snores.

Plan something, huh? Nagito smiled to himself. It was so like Hinata to place the task on himself, think he was the sole person in charge of everyone’s happiness. That selflessness always left him a bit breathless, the air leaking from Nagito’s lungs. Rolling over gently, careful to not ajar Hinata from sleep, Nagito curled himself closer to Hinata. A plan sounded good, but just in case, Nagito added in his luck, hoping their next day would be a touch more eventful. Sleep then claimed him without mercy.

~

It was breakfast when a loud crash echoed through the island, the ground almost vibrating with force. Nagito gasped and dropped his spoon into his half-eaten grapefruit. Souda’s toolkit spilt, tools and parts rolling along the floor of the restaurant, and Saionji lunged, her legs shaking, nearly toppling over Sonia and almost kicking Owari with her braced leg. A gasp was heard from the kitchen as Nagito assumed the shaking caused Hanamura to drop something.

“What the hell was that?” Kuzuryuu demanded, one hand gripping the table.

“I… I’m not sure…” Sonia bit her lip, “Is everyone all right?”

“Yeah… though I nearly got kicked by Hiyoko.” Owari reported.

“I didn’t try on purpose…” Saionji whined, “…this time.” She added under her breath.

“I’m fine.” Nagito answered, straightening up.

“Me too.” Hinata looked around, eyes narrowed, “That was too brief to be an earthquake.”

“Then what the hell was it?” Saionji snapped, trying to untangle herself from Owari.

“Not sure…” Hinata replied, “But it came from outside.”

“Brilliant observation…” Saionji wobbled to her feet.

“I’ll go check what it was.” Hinata ignored her.

“I’m coming too.” Kuzuryuu stood up.

“Me too!” Owari practically jumped up.

Eventually, everyone announced they were coming, even Saionji, who wobbled slowly down the stairs. Outside, everything was in order, nothing toppled over, no damage to the buildings. Carefully they walked out of the hotel, glancing at the surroundings. Everything was in tact, the Market, the Ranch down the road…

“Everything looks fine…” Kuzuryuu muttered, voice laced with confusion.

“Yeah, but something definitely happened.” Souda protested.

Hinata was biting his lip, looking around. Nagito glanced too. Souda was right. Something had happened, but what? Hinata didn’t think it was an earthquake, so what happened? Perhaps they should look around and investigate?

Before he could suggest it, Pekoyama and Tsumiki came running up, both their faces a little pale. Everyone immediately looked at them, Pekoyama getting to them first, Tsumiki gasping behind her as she panted for air.

“What’s wrong?” Hinata immediately sprang.

“There… t-there’s something on the beach.” Tsumiki gasped out.

“It’s huge. And strange.” Pekoyama added, her voice and breath not laboured.

“Something on the beach?” Owari asked, “Well? Show me where it is!” She immediately raced over to Pekoyama.

“Could you please wait a second, Pekoyama, Owari?” Sonia spoke up.

“Yeah, you can’t just rush off.” Souda agreed, “Details.”

“… I think it best if we show you.” Pekoyama slowly said. “If you will?”

“Of course, lead the way Peko.” Kuzuryuu immediately walked over, the two of them starting without another word.

“Hey wait!” Owari raced after them.

“I suppose we have to follow those idiots…” Saionji huffed, but her voice was tinged, light with curiosity.

Follow they did. Nagito’s heart pounding. Something on the beach? What could it possibly be? He wished he could ask, relieve some of the curiosity building inside his chest, bubbling to the surface, but nothing could escape his lips. His heart pounded harder and faster as they reached the beach, a gasp finally worming its way out of his throat when Nagito saw what was there.

It looked like a ship, a blocky ship, all broken, with parts scattered on the sand. Immediately Souda perked up and raced over, eyes wide. Nagito stared, frozen in place, and he swore he saw smoke steaming out of it.

“What the… what is that?” Hanamura spoke what was probably on everyone’s minds.

“Good question…” Hinata muttered, “A ship?”

“A ship?” Saionji repeated, eyebrow raised, “It doesn’t look like it can float.”

“Perhaps… it’s not a ship for the water… but for the sky?” Sonia asked.

“…the sky?” Saionji numbly repeated, “What is this, a sci-fi story?”

“Well,” Souda turned around humming, “It does seem to have an engine...”

His words were drowned out by a startled gasp and pointing by Owari. Nagito whipped his head up and gaped. Something was hurdling towards the water at a high speed, like a falling star. The water rippled, whatever the something was falling into the water. Silence filled the beach as everyone stared at the ocean. For a moment, nothing came up, but then two heads poked out of the water. Humans? Nagito discreetly pinched himself. Nothing changed. The two figures were swimming towards the beach, voices becoming louder and louder.

“Well… this is… something different…” Kuzuryuu muttered, his voice startled.

Nagito’s heart twisted and he tried to not jump. Perhaps… his luck… was too strong.

“Wait, they’re almost here.” Pekoyama’s fingers were already scuttling to her sword. Nidai and Owari were also shifting, looking like they were ready to spring into action.

Now that the figures were closer, Nagito could pick out individual features. It was two boys, one with spikey brown hair that seemed to defy gravity with all it’s might. The other had longer hair, silver. Their voices were getting louder, carrying over.

“… I said relax, it will work out!” The brown-haired boy said, his voice beaming, “Look, we’re here!”

“… I can’t believe this…” The other gasped out.

They walked out of the ocean, now able to stand. Nagito stared. Their clothing choice was… questionable. Zippers and belts seemed to adorn everything, though at least the colour scheme didn’t clash, the brown-haired boy’s mainly black with some red and yellow and the silver-haired boys with slighter colours, though some hints of teal. Immediately the brown-haired boy waved at them, hands going behind his head, a bright smile filling his face.

“Uh… hello?” He tried, “Sorry about this… my fault entirely.”

“Wow… he admits it…” The silver-haired boy muttered.

The brown-haired boy barely flinched, “We’ll be out of your way soon. I promise.” He moved one hand, making a gesture to shake, “I’m Sora, and this is grump is Riku.”

It took everyone all of two seconds before a startled gasp rang through their group, varying levels of surprise mixed in the air.

~

Sora stared at the group in front of him, a mix-matched ensemble of people around his age. Or at least, he assumed. It was hard to tell with world hopping. Birthdays were oft forgotten only to be remembered days or even weeks later. Then again, saving worlds from darkness with magic (and friendship!) things were bound to get muddled up.

Lowering his hand, they were too far away to shake anyways, he looked over at their Gummy ship’s remains. A sigh escaped his lips. It wasn’t too bad… he hoped. The angle he could see it at only showed minor damage, but that didn’t say much. Hopefully, their communication system worked and he could contact someone who knew more about the finer details of repairs. Other wise it could take them a while. Repairs was something spotty in Sora’s memory, but many things were. He brightened. Oh well, at least he wasn’t alone this time. Riku was with him on whatever new world they had crash landed on.

Still… the palm trees, the sand, the beach… Sora’s heart ached. It was similar to home, so much so that at first glance he thought they made it back… but of course, things didn’t work out that way. Always roadblocks to the things they wanted in life…

“Sora… quit spacing out.” Riku’s voice was pitched lower, “They’re still staring at us. We’re suspicious.”

Suspicious… it had been a while since Sora was that. Many of the worlds they had visited were repeats, always seeing old friends and perhaps making new. This world was on the new list. He’d have to make note. Perhaps someone, like King Mickey, actually knew of this world.

“Sora…” Riku poked him.

“Ah.” Sora jumped, “Well… we introduced ourselves…” He bit his lip, “I guess we’ll just have to show we’re good people.” He began to walk.

Riku grabbed him by the back of his vest, tugging on the hooded part, “Sora… we don’t know if they’re good people.”

“Well they haven’t tried to attack us yet.” Sora reasoned, “Besides, we can defend ourselves.”

“We’re outnumbered.” Riku dryly pointed out. “And suspicious, need I remind you.”

Sora pouted, “But if we keep talking to ourselves, we’ll be more suspicious. Let’s just be friendly first.” With a twist, Sora escaped Riku’s grasp and walked closer to their ship.

The burly man and girl with wild brown hair shifted, and the woman with cool eyes and a sword flinched her arm calmly tapping the hilt of her sword. Sora swallowed and shot another smile.

“Uh… perhaps we can continue introductions?” He asked.

Everyone looked at each other before a boy with short hair stepped up. Sora’s gaze immediately caught his eyes, one a vivid red.

“I’m sorry… just… we’re confused as to how you got here.”

Oh. That was easy to explain, “We were flying this ship.” Sora gestured.

“See?!” The man with pink hair grinned, “I said it could fly.”

“And I did something strange and next thing you know we’re losing control and falling. Things sort of blacked out for a moment, but once I came to, we were falling out of the ship and landed into the ocean.” Sora summed up.

“Flying?” The man with the two-toned eyes, one red, blinked.

“Uh… it’s a long story.” Sora bit his lip, “Maybe… after I look at the damage we can talk?”

He took a step forward. The man with the single red eye stopped him, arm jolting out, blocking his path. The burly man and woman with the sword were silently edging closer. Sora swallowed and did his best to smile. If only he knew what to say to make them less tense.

“Sorry… just… you’re not with Future Foundation, are you?” He asked.

Future… what? Sora shook his head. Honesty was the best principle after all, “No? We’re not? I promise, we won’t hurt you.” Sora rocked a bit on his heels, “May I look at our ship now?”

For a long moment, the two-toned eyes stared at him, unblinking, clear. Sora squirmed, wishing he could see what the other was thinking. Nothing escaped his eyes, like a lid to a sealed jar. Glancing at Riku, Sora tried to not nudge his head in an attempt to silently plead for Riku to help him, to say something.

“… very well.” The path was cleared, the man stepping aside.

Sora moved slowly, until he touched the ship. No one stopped him. The damage to the one side was minor, but the other side was busted, smoke slowly billowing. Sora flinched and stepped inside the one ruined side, to where the control panel was. The screen had a crack along the corner, but the controls weren’t damaged. Sora poked one button and watched as the screen flickered to life, a minty green, but alive none the less.

“Hey Riku, the screen is working.” Sora called out, turning around.

Everyone was crowded around the single entrance he had used. Sora would have protested, but he supposed this world didn’t have flying machines that traveled through different worlds. Well… most worlds didn’t have those. Perhaps they were like Destiny Island, secluded… though. Sora tilted his head. Were they the only people on this island? It wasn’t strange that people came to investigate, but so few of them…

He tucked the thought away. “Uh… Riku?”

“I’m here.” Riku grumbled, pushing past the boy with vivid pink hair, “It isn’t as bad inside as I thought… do communications work?”

“I’ll test.” Sora refocused. He pressed the button, the one that always pulled up some form of communication. Static filled the screen, but no sound or visual. “Nope.”

“Great…” Riku rubbed his head, “I guess I’ll start with that…”

“Okay…” Sora stepped away. If Riku was working inside… perhaps he should look outside? Where to start…?

“Um… excuse me?” The boy with pink hair suddenly spoke up, “I’m a mechanic… maybe I can help?”

Riku whipped his head around, “Really?”

“Yes.” The boy puffed his chest out, “I’m quite good.”

“Great!” Sora beamed, “Please, help us… uh…?”

“Souda… Souda Kazuichi.”

Sora blinked. Two names? Which one did he call him by? “Uh… thank you… Souda?” He tried the first name given.

Souda nodded, “I’ll just… help you check the exterior?”

“Okay!” Sora agreed.

“I can help too, if you like.” The boy with the one red eye suddenly said, “I’m Hinata Hajime.”

Another person with two names. Sora went with the first name, like he did with Souda, “Okay thank you… Hinata?”

“But in return you’re going to tell us everyone.” His eyes narrowed, “I mean it.”

“Right.” Sora swallowed.

Everything? Did that include other worlds? King Mickey had said to keep that on the downlow, but… their choices were limited. There was no crisis to distract everyone; they were the crisis, the break in their daily lives. That was a first. Usually Heartless or Nobodies or something was wrecking havoc. Here… nothing but them.

Sora shook the thoughts away. He wouldn’t get anywhere worrying about what to say. First, he had to focus on the task in front of him. With hard work, he and Riku would be out of the way and back on track, back home.

~

Saionji had taken to sitting down, rubbing her one bad leg through the metal brace. Tsumiki sat beside her, fretting. Pekoyama, Owari, and Nidai were standing still and close, gazes never dropping from the ruined ship. Sonia stood still for a long moment before she excused herself.

“I’ll go see if Koizumi is awake. I’ll explain the situation.” She said before leaving with a soft curtsey.

“I’ll join you.” Kuzuryuu sighed, giving Pekoyama a silent look before he too went off.

Nagito, however, hovered, following Souda and Hinata silently. The ship, up close, was a lot less seamless that he expected. There were lines, cutting off metal in ways, showing how every part interconnected with the other. It reminded Nagito of blocks kids played with, stacking until they created something. Just what was this ship? Sora had stated it could fly, but Nagito could sense a large hole in his explanation. He had said the two of them weren’t Future Foundation, but who else had the technology and resources to build a ship like this?

“Oh wow…” Souda’s voice broke through Nagito’s thoughts, “This is so amazing…” Souda reached out and flinched a second later, “Ow…”

“Are you okay?” Sora fretted beside him.

“It was just hotter than I expected…” Souda mused, “I should have some gloves or something…”

Silently Nagito made his presence known. Reaching out with his left hand, he moved the panel Souda was trying to get to with ease, tugging it up and firmly out of Souda’s way. Sora jumped and looked over, eyes wide as he took in Nagito’s left hand. Souda just grinned and patted Nagito’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Nagito. As usual, you’re the best assistant.”

“I’m your only assistant.” Nagito dryly replied.

“Assistant?” Sora’s gaze was still wide, “You want to be a mechanic too?”

“Uh… no.” Nagito replied, “I just get roped into helping.”

“Roped!” Souda scoffed before he leaned closer, looking inside, “The wires here got messed up in the landing.” He bit his lip, “Do you know which goes where?”

Sora bounced over, “I think… this one here?” He pointed.

Souda reached into his stained jumpsuit pocket, pulling out pliers, and soon began to work, humming, “Let’s see if this fixes your communication…”

Right. Communication. Nagito’s eyes narrowed. Who could they possibly be communicating with? Sure, Sora said they weren’t Future Foundation, but that didn’t leave out other groups that potentially formed. Perhaps they were with a different group in the country? Or perhaps they were part of an international group? Even with clearly Japanese names, Nagito knew better than to assume where someone was from based upon name.

“The screen isn’t all static.” Hinata mused, poking his head out from inside the ruined ship, “So, that’s a bonus. Still… how are we going to fix the exterior?”

“Leave that to us.” Riku suddenly appeared beside Hinata, arms crossed, “We should have some spare parts around here, right Sora?”

Sora jolted and nodded enthusiastically, “Yup! We sure do!” He paused, “I think.”

Think? Nagito watched as Sora laughed jilted, “So… where are we anyways?”

Nagito bit his lip and glanced at Hinata who stood there silently. Was it okay to tell? Sure, the island was a secret and Future Foundation was making sure it stayed a secret, but was it okay to tell? Would it be a hint? Them tipping their hands? What if Sora or Riku figured out they were Remnants of Despair? Nagito held a laugh and remembered what he did when that information was known. Sora and Riku were kind, but Nagito didn’t have a shred of illusion to imagine them changing their tune should they find out that tidbit.

“This is Jabberwock Island.” Hinata calmly said, barely batting an eye.

Did… Hinata just say that? Nagito shot a look, slightly raised eyebrows. Hinata didn’t look at him.

“Jabberwock Island…” Sora repeated slowly, head tilted, “And… it’s only you living here?”

What a… pointed observation. Nagito narrowed his eyes, staring at Sora. Sora, however, didn’t tense or look over at him. In fact, he kept a smile and warm eyes on Hinata, waiting for an answer, rocking slowly so he was creating groves in the sand.

“Yes…” Hinata answered carefully.

Nagito waited for Sora to exclaim how that was impossible, or finally pull all the pieces together. His shoulders tensed, waiting for him to realize they were the Remnants of Despair that were doing their best to heal and stay hidden.

 “Oh… that sounds lonely… what a lonely world.”

Sora’s head dropped and his tone along with it. Nagito felt a jolt run through his body as Sora spoke, his words quiet, introspective. The last bit, the part about world snagged Nagito’s mind, like a sweater caught on a nail. He stepped forward, wanting to press Sora about it, but at that moment Riku walked out, tugging on the back of Sora’s clothes.

“Hey I need your help with something.” He said, pulling Sora away without mercy.

Nagito watched as Sora gave little resistance. They disappeared into the ship, leaving him and Souda in silence.

~

Riku’s fingers clutched the fabric, tapping endlessly, curling into the folds. Something about this place sat wrong in his stomach, like a scale off kilter. His nerves were fried, constantly prickled as his mind spun in many different directions.

“Riku…” Sora whined, “I was in the middle of a conversation…”

This world reeked, it clung to everyone like a shadow or stain. It escaped Riku’s vision, always dancing on the edges, but he could sense it, taste the weight on his tongue, staining his lips and teeth black.

Darkness clung to this world, swirling like the glass in a marble. It clung to everyone on the island, it’s fingers grasping their skin, leaving dirty marks. Every time Riku tried to get a good look, solid proof, it vanished, leaving behind only an imprint. It was different from other worlds, with darkness clearly edging at the corners, Heartless and Nobodies springing forth, like a portal from hell. This world had been bathed in it, the darkness slowly receding, but not before it left a grainy residue on everything it had contaminated. It was how Riku’s soul felt for months after he returned.

They had to leave. Soon. Tugging harder, ignoring Sora’s grumbling, Riku pulled him into the ship, hoping to shelter their voices. Letting go of Sora’s shirt, Riku stepped back, avoiding a half-hearted punch.

“What was that?” Sora asked, eyes narrowed, “I was talking to them… you didn’t have to be so rude.”

“We need to leave. Soon.” Riku simply replied.

“Uh… yeah… I know.” Sora stared, “With help from Souda and Hinata I’m sure we’ll…”

“The less help from them, the better.” Riku added.

Sora clamped his mouth shut and glared, “Riku… this is no time for your pride.”

“It’s not pride.” Riku crossed his arms, “Can’t you see it? Darkness clings to this world and to them. It’s…” Unsettling. Disturbing.

“Riku… darkness isn’t always automatically bad.” Sora gently started, “When you returned…”

“It doesn’t matter.” Riku huffed, cutting Sora off, “I’ve never seen it like this. It’s grainy, an after image.”

“Well that means it’s gone, or majority of it.” Sora replied, “They’ve been nice and helpful. We haven’t encountered a single Heartless or any other creature of darkness, so I think that is a good sign.”

Leave it to Sora to be overly trusting. “Sora…”

“Just… trust them Riku.” Sora plead, “Or at least tolerate them. We’ll get our Gummy Ship running faster if we let them help. Communications and the control panel will be fixed soon and we should to have spare parts in the storage.”

He turned to leave. Riku reached out, trying to grab Sora, who tried to turn to dodge his hand. A moment later Sora slipped, falling backwards, a piece of rubble sliding from under his foot, loudly smacking on the floor. Riku winced, his fingers twitching, ready to summon his keyblade and cast some healing, when both Souda and Hinata poked their heads in. Soon the boy with fluffy white hair also appeared.

“Ow…” Sora sat up, rubbing his head.

“Are you okay?” Hinata was immediately inside.

“I’m… fine.” Sora stopped. Blood dripped down the back of his head and the sides. He blinked.

“Nagito, could you go get Mikan?” Hinata turned around.

The boy with fluffy white hair (Nagito) immediately turned and walked away. Riku slowly edged closer to Sora, biting his lip. It wasn’t too bad, they had definitely suffered worse, but still, if only they didn’t notice he could have healed Sora.

Nagito returned with a girl wearing blues, pinks, and a white apron, two red lines, one horizontal and one vertical down a side. She also had a few bandages around one arm and leg. That must be Mikan. She stepped in holding a small white kit.

“P-Pardon me.” She stammered, “C-could I look at your injury?”

Sora immediately smiled and nodded as she bustled over, opening the kit, revealing First Aid supplies. At this rate they’d never get their ship up and running. Riku held back a huff.

~

Nagito watched as Tsumiki cleaned up, ordering Sora to stay put for a while. Sora nodded, but Riku turned his head, brow furrowed. His fingers tapped against his leg as his gaze caught Sora’s figure for a brief moment. A second later he went back to the control panel, tinkering with some things. Hinata and Souda left, heading back outside, probably to check the exterior.

With no one around to tell him what to do, Nagito shuffled, biting his lip. Should he stay? Or perhaps see the others? Sora and Riku hadn’t noticed yet, but everyone had come by to see the ship, stare at it for a while. Some people (like Hanamura, Saionji, Koizumi, and Sonia) had excused themselves with various tasks, but others like Pekoyama, Nidai, and Owari were still hovering, watching. Though only Pekoyama was actually keeping an eye on the area. Nidai and Owari had devolved to some sparing matches.

“Oh man… guess I got to relax…” Sora suddenly sounded close.

Nagito nearly jumped. Sora had moved over, sitting by the entrance, leaning against the frame. His clothes were wrinkled and smelt like the sea. Nagito was immediately hit with the reminder that Sora and Riku had fallen into the sea, yet they didn’t show signs of discomfort. True, with the heat they faced their clothes would dry quickly, but it had to still be uncomfortable.

“Hey… Nagito?”

Hearing his name out of Sora’s lips, Nagito looked down and frowned, the correction of his family name on his lips, when he paused. Hinata had used his first name. Sora had no idea. He let out a sigh.

“It’s Komaeda Nagito.” Nagito properly introduced himself.

“Eh?” Sora’s eyes widened, “But Hinata said…”

“He can call me by my first name.” Nagito expanded.

“Oh…” Sora blinked, “So… Komaeda then?”

“Yes.” Nagito nodded.

“Sorry…” Sora bit his lip, “I’m not used to that custom.”

That explained it. He was definitely international. Nagito tucked the thought away for later.

“Say, “Sora brightened not a second later, “Mind telling me a bit about this island?”

Nagito’s voice caught in his throat. He supposed he was allowed to say something, given Hinata spilling about the name, but he had to be careful. Just because Sora and Riku hadn’t done anything to them didn’t mean something wouldn’t happen.

“Sure…” Nagito carefully agreed.

“How big is the island?” Sora asked.

“This island or all the islands put together?” Nagito dryly asked in return.

“Wait… you got… more than one island?” Sora looked at him, “How many?”

“Six islands, they’re all connected by the main island. We’re on the first island.” Nagito answered.

“Six?” Sora whistled, “What are the other islands like?”

Nagito paused. He didn’t want to say too much, “Themed.” He settled.

“Themed?” Sora asked, brow furrowed, “Like… a carnival or circus?”

“Sort of.” Nagito shrugged, “This place was meant for tourists, but after the Tragedy.” Nagito trailed off, letting Sora fill in the rest.

Sora stared and for a moment Nagito saw the wheels behind his eyes pause, as though he needed to absorb everything, like he didn’t know what had happened. But then he nodded, looking down.

“I… see.” He paused, “So… that’s why it’s only the group of you here?”

“Something like that.” Nagito vaguely replied.

He waited, for Sora to ask clarification on that too, but he simply stood up, patting his head cautiously, “I think I’m good now.” Sora muttered before he smiled at Nagito, “Thanks for telling me these things Komaeda.”

With another grin, Sora bounced off towards Riku.

Nagito smoothly exited the ship, wincing as the sun hit his eyes. It took a moment for the adjustment in the light, but when he could finally see, Nagito noted that out of everyone, only Pekoyama was still around, silently holding her sword.

“Where are the others?” Nagito asked.

“They went back to the restaurant.” Pekoyama answered.

“Okay… thank you.” Nagito left.

Upon returning to the restaurant, he saw everyone huddled around a table. Walking up to them, Nagito picked an empty seat beside Owari, listening in.

“I swear, this is the weirdest thing ever.” Owari was moving her hands, as though she needed to gesture her thoughts, “Ships don’t just fall out of the sky. People too!” She frowned.

“I… I agree.” Tsumiki timidly raised her hand, “T-They should be h-hurt more.”

“Also, their clothes should have been really wet afterwards…” Sonia tapped her chin, “But they didn’t look wet, did they?”

Nagito hummed in agreement, “I saw Sora’s clothes up close. They were wrinkled, but he didn’t show signs of discomfort. Also… he asked me about the islands. When I mentioned the Tragedy in passing… I think he didn’t know what I was talking about.”

That got everyone’s attention. Kuzuryuu raised an eyebrow, “You’re sure?”

“I just observed how he reacted.” Nagito shrugged, “Nothing is definitive here.”

“Sometimes the smallest things end up being a big clue.” Owari pointed out.

“Don’t we know that…” Saionji muttered.

“But I think this proves one thing.” Nidai almost bellowed, “THOSE TWO ARE NOT FROM AROUND HERE.”

“No shit.” Saionji rolled her eyes.

“No, I think that’s important.” Nagito defended Nidai, “If Sora and Riku aren’t even sure what the Tragedy is… that implies more than far away.”

“That is very true.” Sonia agreed, “And very puzzling. Neither the less, Sora agreed to explain things to us later.”

“Yeah… if he holds up that deal.” Kuzuryuu sighed.

~

The sun was setting by the time majority of the interior was fixed. The screen was still cracked, but there was no more static, giving some hope a signal would go through. The panel was working, though the engine gave a half-hearted whine when Sora tried to start it up. Ducking outside, Sora walked around, looking at the work Souda and Hinata had done. The one side was completely fixed, not a single scratch, but there was still some stuff along the bottom. Riku was off the side, staring pointedly at their backs. Sora sighed and walked over, tugging on Riku’s arm.

“Hey, how’s the work going?” Sora asked.

“This ship is amazing.” Souda turned, eyes sparkling, “Everything fits so neatly into place… you can change parts without much trouble… this is fantastic!” He waved a wrench.

“Uh… yeah… that’s how it’s designed.” Sora smiled, “Thank you for your help. I know we’re… strange.”

“You certainly landed here with strange circumstances surrounding you.” Hinata pointed bluntly.

Sora laughed and rubbed his head. “Right…”

“You’re going to explain to us.” Hinata reminded.

Ah… that. Sora tightened his grip on Riku’s arm. There was no way he could avoid it and frankly, Sora didn’t want to. Lying was not something he liked doing, it left something slimy in his stomach, but concealing the truth for the sake of the balance of worlds… that was something he slowly was getting used to.

“Yes, of course.” Sora tried to grin warmly, “I’ll just check the monitor one more time…”

“Okay.” Hinata agreed, “Then please, join us for supper. You must be hungry? Hanamura is a great cook.”

Food. Sora immediately brightened. When was the last time he had proper food? Not just gulping down potions or rations outside of battle or in their Gummy Ship? Immediately his stomach rumbled. Sora rubbed it.

“I’ll be quick.” He promised before dashing off, his mouth watering with the possibilities.

Entering the ship, Sora poked around, humming. A moment later he felt Riku behind him, warm and solid. Sora sighed and leaned against him.

“How’s the head?” Riku asked.

“Not throbbing.” Sora answered, “But still a bit tender.”

“You should be more careful.” Riku pressed a light kiss to the top of Sora’s head, “Here.”

Sora sensed rather than saw the flash of light and the warm presence of a keyblade. He sighed, fingers curling against the panel. “Riku… if they saw.”

“Don’t argue and I’ll be done quicker.” Riku countered, “Hold still…”

The sensation of water dripping down his head without feeling any liquid soothed over Sora’s head, sending a phantom sensation trickling down his back. Sora rubbed his head, pleased there was no pain. Looking at Riku, his keyblade was already gone, a smile on his face.

“See? That wasn’t so bad.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sora rolled his eyes, “I’m done here. Let’s go eat something!”

“We should be careful… they could have done something…”

“No way!” Sora shook his head, “It will be fine!”

Tugging Riku out of the ship, Sora followed Hinata and Souda away from the beach, past a ranch, and towards what looked like a hotel. Stepping inside, they passed the cottages and a pool before the lobby and restaurant came into view. Walking up the steps, they entered. Inside the restaurant was open, with wooden beams and tables, giving it a warm feel. At a table, sat the people Sora never got introduced to, minus Komaeda and Mikan.

“Uh… hello?” Sora waved.

“Good evening.” A girl stood up with long blonde hair, almost to her waist. “I’m sorry for the late introduction. I’m Sonia Nevermind.” She curtsied.

Sonia smiled and looked over at the rest. Silence filled the table before a girl with red hair stood up, yawning.

“Hello, I’m Koizumi Mahiru.” She sat back down a bit wobbly. “Sorry I just woke up.”

A late sleeper? Sora immediately thought of his bed, how he too would stay curled in the blankets if he had the chance. Though, with Riku and Kairi around they’d pull him out immediately given the chance.

“And I’m Saionji Hiyoko!” Another girl with blonde hair and brightly coloured clothes stated.

“I’m Owari Akane.” The burn haired girl waved. “And this is Nidai Nekomaru.”

“IT’S A PLEASURE.” The burly man boomed.

The last person at the table, a shorter boy with shaved hair and an eyepatch finally stood. Sora tired to not stare. Last person he saw with an eyepatch tried to shoot him down.

“I’m Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko.” He simply said before he looked at Hinata, “Hajime, where’s Peko?”

“Ah…” Hinata immediately looked around, “I last saw her by the exit to the beach…”

“I’m here.”

Sora whipped his head around. The woman with the sword and calm eyes was suddenly inside the restaurant. She gave a bow, “I’m Pekoyama Peko.”

“Hanamura is in the kitchen.” Hinata finished, “And you’ve already met Nagito and Mikan?”

“Yes, we have.” Sora nodded, “It’s great to meet you. I’m Sora and this is Riku.” He reintroduced themselves.

“Well then, Sora, Riku, you can take a seat over here.” Sonia pointed to the other side of the table, near the end.

They went to where Sonia had gestured, Riku sitting down silently and Sora practically throwing himself into the seat. The day’s events were slowly leaving his body and exhaustion on top of hunger started to pile up rapidly. A moment later Hinata and Souda joined them, Hinata sitting beside Komaeda and Souda close to Kuzuryuu. They were just adjusting themselves when Hanamura bustled out of the kitchen.

Sora examined him. He was short and portly, with slicked back hair. He was carrying multiple plates, somehow, and easily put them on the table. Sora’s mouth watered again, this time longer. Meat dishes, vegetable dishes, rice, noodles… Sora’s hand twitched, but he refrained himself from grabbing his bowl and filling up on the spot.

“Well? Dig in.” Hanamura urged, his voice deep and smooth, “The main dishes are still being prepared.” He added before bustling off.

“You heard him!” Owari cheered, immediately tackling the meat dish closest to her.

He didn’t need to be told twice. Sora piled his bowl up, thankful that their eating utensils weren’t too strange. Then again, how many different kinds of utensils could a world have? Immediately he dug in, practically crying at how great it tasted. Riku, on the other hand, took a moderate amount. Sora wanted to pout and tell Riku it made him look like the glutton, but those words melted along with the food.

Idle chatter filled the table as dish after dish came out. Sora was too busy eating to contribute much. When the food finally stopped, he lay back, a content smile lingering on his face. He definitely ate his weight and then some. No doubt Riku would call that as an excuse to race on the beach later.

“So… now that we’re feed…” Kuzuryuu eyed them, “I believe an explanation is in order?”

Ah. Right. Sora sat up, swallowing. He hadn’t gone over with Riku what to say. What if he said something wrong? Did he perhaps leave it to Riku to start? Sora looked at him, but Riku merely shrugged.

“I’m not sure what to tell you. We were just heading home when suddenly we got caught in something. As we lost control we were sucked out of our ship and landed here.”

“Yeah!” Sora nodded, “It was an accident.”

“So, this doesn’t happen often?” Komaeda asked.

“No?” Sora felt his face burn.

“You must travel by ship a lot then?” Souda pressed, “Don’t you need maintenance?”

“Uh…” Sora shook his head, “I mean we try to when we stop places but usually the ship runs well.”

“That’s pretty much it.” Riku sealed the deal.

“Oh my, so you just experienced unfortunate circumstances?” Sonia looked down, “That’s a shame. You must be so close to home?”

“Uh… I suppose we are.” Sora mused, “I mean, we’re not too sure where this place is on the map, but once we’re up and running I’m sure we’ll find our way.”

“Interesting…” Hinata muttered before his eyes harden. Suddenly Sora felt a shiver run down his spine, “It’s just… rare we get visitors from so far away.”

What was this? Sora felt like the room had dropped in temperature, even though they were on an island. Everyone was staring at them, suddenly pinning them in place. He wanted to twitch, or say something to lighten the mood but…

“Look, if you want to ask us something, don’t beat around the bush. Just do it.” Riku snapped, hand warmly touching Sora’s arm, “I got some questions too.”

Hinata closed his eyes. When he reopened them his gaze was firm, hard, “You’re not from around here.”

“Nope, I think our story made that crystal clear.” Riku countered.

“You fell from the sky, into the ocean, yet you didn’t inhale any water or seem injured.” Hinata added.

“What can I say?” Riku shrugged, “We just got lucky.”

Komaeda snorted, “Lucky huh?” He gave a wide smile.

“Yeah, luck.” Riku firmly continued, “So, if we’re done answering, why don’t you tell me why you’re the only people on this island?”

Was it Sora, or was the room getting colder and colder? Everyone’s smiles, the ones during supper were gone, replaced with a mix of emotions that suffocated the room. Sora’s fingers twitched and suddenly he had to fight the urge to summon his keyblade. Was this the grainy darkness that Riku was talking about earlier?

“I think the answer to that is obvious, don’t you think?” Kuzuryuu challenged them, “After all, you must have seen the main land. Cut the bullshit and tell us the truth.”

The… main land? So, something had happened. Sora frowned and remembered Komaeda’s words, about a Tragedy. Was that the source of Darkness? Did Heartless invade this world? Were Heartless invading this world? Suddenly Sora was hit with how little he knew about the place they landed. This world could be massive and it could take a while…

“You don’t know what happened?” Saionji glared, “Go on, tell us if you do.”

“We… um…” Sora bit his lip.

“We thought so.” Komaeda sighed, “So, in the words of Kuzuryuu, cut the bullshit and tell us the truth.”

Crap. Sora glanced at Riku who was holding an impressive staring contest with both Kuzuryuu and Saionji. Hinata’s gaze had simmered down, but it was still sharp. It left no room for wiggling out of the situation or making up another story. Gulping harshly, Sora wished Riku would say something; he had nothing to say.

“Your world fell, crumbled.” Riku suddenly spoke, eyes almost glazed, as though he were thinking of something else. “Everything you knew and loved gone in an instant. Your world was swallowed by Darkness, yet you still fought to protect what you loved and held dear.”

Sora could see it, even without closing his eyes. He could see Destiny Island being swallowed, losing Kairi and Riku in an instant. He could still feel the pain in his chest when he finally woke in Traverse Town, how even with a small glimmer of hope, the raw pain of losing those he loved had stabbed him dully in the heart.

“Very poetic.” Saionji said with a flick of her wrist, “But… what happened specifically?”

“You’re dancing around the answer, if you know it.” Owari added.

Riku glared and Sora saw his fingers twitch under the table. With a lunge Sora grabbed his hands, pulling them tightly, shooting a look at Riku. If they couldn’t make something up, get out of this, then bits of the truth were the only thing to give. Honesty at this point would make them suspicious, but lying would be worse.

“Riku.” Sora exhaled slowly, “I’m going to tell them.”

“You’re what?” Riku turned his head so fast Sora swore he heard a snap.

“What?” Sora tilted his head, “It’s not like we haven’t had to explain ourselves before.”

“Yes but… when something was staring right in their faces…” Riku protested.

“We’re the ones staring them right in their faces.” Sora rolled his eyes, “I don’t think the change in what’s staring at them makes much of a difference.”

“…fine,” Riku huffed, “But I’m blaming you for anything that goes wrong.”

“Love you too.”

Sora sighed, but knew this was as good as it was going to get. Turning to face the others, Sora still kept a firm grip on Riku’s hands. He could feel the long-winded sigh escape Riku’s lips, but Sora didn’t care. Everyone was staring at them, lips set tightly, the air coiling and compressing like a spring.

“So… we’re not from around here.” Sora carefully started.

“No shit…” Saionji muttered.

“We sort of figured that out.” Souda added.

“No, no what I mean is.” Sora braced himself, “We’re from another world.”

Silence, Sora could almost hear the bugs outside. Then, Souda fell out of his chair, gaping at them. Owari jumped up, Tsumiki let out a small terrified squeak, and Hanamura started to laugh with a stutter. Sonia’s eyes widened and almost twinkled, but everyone else merely blinked, as though the information was dully pressing into their minds, unyielding and incomprehensible.

“Eh?” Koizumi blinked. “You mean to say…”

“You’re aliens??” Sonia demanded, leaning over.

“Aliens are real?” Owari gasped out. “No… way…”

Kuzuryuu frowned, “If you’re going to lie, come up with a better lie.”

“I agree, this is a rather weak defense.” Pekoyama was slowly moving, her hand on her sword.

“Huh?” Sora flailed, “Um… we’re not lying… I promise.” He looked over at Riku, “Help?”

“What?” Riku huffed, “Like they’ll believe me saying the truth over you.”

Sora pouted and looked at everyone. If he didn’t keep talking things would get out of hand, “Look, just… listen to me… I’m telling the truth. We’re from a place called Destiny Islands. Riku and I have been travelling from world to world in our ship.”

“… okay…” Hinata straightened up, “Let’s go along with this. If we believe you… where’s your proof? Can you show us something that proves you’re from another world?”

“Uh…”

Sora stared. That… was a good point. What could he show? He didn’t have any currency or maps on him. He didn’t have photos or videos. All they had that was physical evidence was a space ship and…

He looked over at Riku. Their hands were still connected, an effort to stop Riku from swinging his keyblade as a defense. It was the only other thing he could think of to prove their claim. After all, not everyone could summon a weapon out of thin air and perform magic. Though… did this world have magic? Sora’s blood froze. What if they did and he just didn’t realize it? They’d literally be out of options…

“Sora…” Riku tried to wiggle his hands out of his grasp.

Loosening his grip, Sora made a choice. He turned to the others, who were being surprisingly patient. Thinking things through wasn’t exactly him. Why should he start now?

“Uh… I think I can give you proof.” Sora said, “But before I do that… this world doesn’t happen to have magic, does it?”

Silence again, before the room erupted. Sora gave a weak smile. “Uh…”

“MAGIC?!” Nidai roared.

“E… Eh??” Tsumiki looked like she was about to faint.

“Oho… magic you say?” Hanamura looked too pleased.

“Real life magic?” Sonia beamed, hands clasped, “Like disappearing acts?”

“Magic doesn’t exist.” Pekoyama firmly stated.

“Are you… what are you trying to pull?” Kuzuryuu’s eye was twitching.

“You’re… not serious, are you?” Komaeda accused with a sigh.

Riku huffed, crossing his now free arms, “I’m going to take that as a no.”

“It’s not a matter of no or yes, it’s a matter of changing the topic.” Koizumi glared, “What exactly do tricks and illusions have to do with your explanation?”

“Everything.” Riku coldly stared back at her, “Because apparently that’s the only way we can convince you people we’re telling the truth.”

“You’re going to do illusions and tricks to convince us?” Hinata finally spoke, eyebrows raised.

Riku opened his mouth, but Sora cut in, slamming his hand over it, widely grinning, “Not tricks or illusions. I can’t do that kind of magic. To demonstrate, we should go outside…”

“No,” Kuzuryuu shook his head, “I’m not trusting you to lead us anywhere, even if it’s on our island. Here and now. Demonstrate.”

Sora stared. That… wasn’t the wisest. Even the smallest hint of magic could be destructive. Next thing everyone would know a hole would be in the wall or something burnt to a crisp. Still… if they weren’t moving there had to be something no destructive they could do…

Lost in thought, Sora didn’t realize Riku was leaning closer to him, lips close to his ear, voice pitched low.

“Sorry Sora.” He whispered.

He didn’t realize he was flying until after Riku’s fist smacked into his face. Sora toppled over, feeling the pain erupt on the side, his face swelling and blood filling his mouth. Summersaulting multiple times, Sora finally crashed into another table, a chair falling onto his head with a dull thud. In the distance, Sora could hear startled gasps and chairs scrapping the floor as they scrambled over. Wincing, Sora tried to sit up, his arms wobbling as the room spun for a good ten seconds, vision doubling before the restaurant refocused. Everyone was heading over, but Riku was ahead, hands in his pockets, strolling calmly, like he hadn’t just punched him.

“Ow…” Sora rubbed his cheek and head. “Riku…” On his finger tips, he felt blood.

“I’ll heal it up for you.” Riku rolled his eyes and took his hands out of his pockets, “Nothing destructive, right?”

That made sense but still… “You could have warned me a bit better…”

“You’re just too slow sometimes.” Riku replied before he stopped, back still turned to the others. “Ready?”

“Just… heal this up… my head is throbbing… and I’m bleeding.” Sora muttered, keeping an eye on the others.

With a calm flick of his wrist, Riku summoned Way to Dawn. Sora watched as everyone stepped back, another round of startled sounds, escaping at various levels. Lifting his keyblade towards him, Riku calmly cast a healing spell. Again, the cool sensation of water dripping down his neck sent shivers down Sora’s spine. He groaned, the tingling causing multiple rounds of shivering, but the throbbing was gone. Giving a second, Sora stood up, the blood in his mouth and on his forehead gone. Swallowing a couple of times to get the taste of copper out of his mouth, Sora grinned.

“Next time… warn me…” Sora huffed, but then turned to the others, beaming, “Well, there you have it. Magic. We’re from another world.”

~

Nagito gaped, staring at the scene in front of him. There had been blood. He saw blood dripping down Sora’s head, he saw the swell of his cheek. Yet… it was truly gone. Sora looked great, minus a bit of dust clinging to his clothes. The key… sword thing that Riku had in his hands also disappeared in a flash of white light, his hands back in his pockets. That… wasn’t possible. Nagito felt his mind reeling. This broke all sorts of laws of the universe, of science in general, but here Sora and Riku stood, not batting an eyelash.

“What… the hell?” Souda was muttering over and over, “That…”

“Was that real?” Owari asked seemingly to no one and everyone at the same time.

“That… was a trick…” Koizumi said with a blank tone, “… right?”

Nagito could hear the others, all sporting the same wide eyed, mouth slack expression. Clamping his mouth shut audibly, Nagito looked back at Sora and Riku. They were standing, gazes level, as though waiting for a verdict.

Nagito nearly laughed. What verdict could they possibly say? Were they expected to happily accept their explanation now? They’re from another world and magic exists. Eyeing Riku, Nagito bit his lip.

If he just… accepted the scene that just occurred, what did that mean? What else could Riku do? What extent did magic give? Could it… Nagito swallowed thickly, could it give back things? Suddenly his left arm throbbed where the skin and metal met.

“Uh… hello?” Sora was biting his lip, “I know it’s a lot to take in…”

“A… lot to take in…” Hinata finally spoke, voice slow and steady, “You just broke multiple laws of science and the universe as we know it.”

“…I suppose we did?” Sora tilted his head and immediately smiled, “But don’t worry too much about that. Apart from that, is our explanation fine?”

“A part from…” Kuzuryuu’s voice was low, “That’s all you have to say?”

“What else is there to say?” Riku huffed, “Look, we showed you magic exists. From your reactions, this isn’t common here, so that means you have to believe we’re from another world.”

What could he say to that? Riku was right. Nagito sighed. This was crazy, crazier than believing a high school girl caused the end of the world, was able to brainwash people in masses, and could alter memories. This was even crazier than believing a school was able to stuff multiple talents into one person.

Whatever. Nagito sighed. This was getting no where. Riku was right.

“Fine, we accept you’re from another world.” Nagito said, ignoring everyone’s stares, “But that wasn’t too impressive.” Nagito folded his arms, “Is that all you can do?”

“Nagito?” Hinata asked, “What are you doing?”

“What?” Nagito looked at the rest, “He healed a minor injury, that’s neat, but if we’re going to jump down this rabbit hole of insanity, might as well see what else they can do.”

“Rabbit hole…” Hinata muttered.

In the distance, Nagito heard Saionji mutter “rich coming from you”, but he ignored it. Instead Nagito stared Riku and Sora down, “Well?”

For the first time since he got here, Nagito witnessed Riku cracking a smile, “That is why Sora suggested we go outside. Anything else is too destructive.”

“Destructive?” Nagito asked, “Such as?”

“Freezing things… electrocuting things… setting things on fire?” Riku listed off before he grinned, “Why? Suddenly now you want more proof?”

“Why not?” Hinata spoke for Nagito, “He’s right... might as well jump down this rabbit hole.”

Sora beamed, “Great! Though, you know, I did visit a world with a rabbit hole… and a rabbit… and other things… it was chaotic.”

“He means that metaphorically.” Riku huffed, “But now that we got this settled, let’s go outside?”

Nagito’s heart skipped. This was… exciting. He could see it in everyone’s eyes, including Hinata, which sometimes was a rare occurrence. Hinata probably wasn’t always aware, but sometimes a bit of Kamukura would bleed out. This time, however, his eyes were twinkling, breath held. Silently everyone walked outside, a cool air nipping them, but pleasant after the sweltering days they had to endure. Everything was compressing around him and Nagito almost wished he could say something to get everyone to stop creating the tense silence. Only Riku and Sora were relaxed, Sora skipping all the way to the beach, back to an open space. Their ship still sat, on the sand, but Nagito could see the work done. It already looked better.

Without a word, Riku stepped away, light gathering in his hands before his blade… thing appeared. It reminded Nagito of the night, of a bat’s wings stretched, of the moment before the sun rose. Riku’s posture changed, his arm angled a bit higher, like he would attempt stabbing from an upper position.

“We should probably stay away.” Sora stopped them, giving Riku a wide radius. “Hey Riku, just be mindful of our ship.” He called out.

“I know.” Riku replied before a fire ball suddenly erupted from the tip of his blade.

Nagito nearly jumped back. It was fire… real fire… even at the distance, he could feel the heat. With a flick of his wrist, Riku sent it towards the ocean, the fire creating a ball that went quite the distance before it exploded in a small cloud.

“Pretty neat, huh?” Sora laughed, “Do ice next!” He suggested.

A moment later ice and snow formed at the tip, Riku once again aiming it towards the ocean. Then, lightening, crashing loudly. Nagito could smell the smoke and the ozone as it disappeared with a puff.

“That was so cool, right?” Sora bounced, “We don’t usually have opportunities to show off a little bit.” He turned to Riku, “Hey… one more!”

“Sora…” Riku called out, “I’ve made our point.” His blade disappeared, “Right?”

No one answered. Nagito wanted to point out that by now it was obvious they did, but Sora pouted. “Riku… you’re no fun… show off a bit…”

“Show… off?” Riku’s voice echoed through the beach, “This was to give them proof… I’m not a circus act.”

“Yeah…” Souda stammered, “I think one evening of mind blowing us is good enough…”

“Fine…” Sora deflated.

Good.

“I’ll just do it myself!” He declared, running away from them, laughing.

Wait. What?

Sora’s hand also glowed before a large key appeared in his hand. It was a lot simpler than Riku’s with two colours, silver and gold. Whipping around he gave out a yell. Riku gaped and lifted his hand out.

Too late. Suddenly Nagito felt himself flying in the air, a startled scream escaping his throat as his arm was tugged. In the distance, he could hear everyone yell out to him, but their words were lost due to the height. Sora started to drop his key, but Nagito felt himself still hovering, as though some invisible force was holding him by his arm.

“SORA!” Riku gasped out.

“Oops… guess I wasn’t far enough!” Sora nearly gasped out, panic filing his voice, “Sorry Komaeda! My magnet magic will lose effect soon… just… I’ll get you down…”

Magnet. Magic? Nagito wanted to yell at him, but with his lip between his teeth, Sora started to lower him down slowly, until his feet were dangling above the sand. A moment later the force against his arm snapped, disappearing and Nagito toppled to the ground. Immediately Sora was there, kneeling beside him.

“I’m so sorry!” Sora gasped out again, “I… didn’t mean to… I forgot…”

Nagito rubbed his arm. It didn’t hurt too much, “What was that?”

“… magnet magic…” Sora muttered.

Magnet… Nagito sighed and stood up, hobbling back to the group. The moment he was within arm’s reach, Owari and Nidai tackled him, pulling Nagito into their arms tightly. Nagito gasped as his air leaked out.

“O-Owari… N-Nidai…”

“We were so worried!” Owari tightened her grip, “Are you okay?”

“I’m f-fine… can’t b-breathe…” Nagito wheezed.

Their hug loosened, but the moment it did, Souda was in there, grabbing his arm, examining it, “Your arm okay?”

“Yeah… a bit sore… but nothing broke.” Nagito answered.

“Looks fine…” Souda mused, still turning and looking at all angles.

Hinata suddenly was beside him, arm curling around his waist. Nagito nearly jumped, but eased into the touch. “What was that?” He muttered, “You’re sure you’re okay?”

“That… was magnet magic, according to Sora.” Nagito muttered, “And I’m fine Hajime.”

“I thought you’d be a goner for sure.” Saionji poked his side. At least she wasn’t treating him like glass.

“You truly gave us a fright.” Sonia gently said before her gaze wandered elsewhere, “You didn’t hurt him, did you?”

Sora and Riku were back, Sora looking at his feet, shuffling. Even his hair seemed to droop. Nagito couldn’t help but equate it to a puppy.

“I didn’t hurt him. I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to do that.” Sora said, “Sorry again!”

“It’s fine.” Nagito could feel a blush forming at the attention, “Don’t worry about it.”

“I think, your demonstration was sufficient.” Pekoyama calmly took the attention away. “Thank you. Perhaps, it’s time we departed for the evening.”

Good call. Nagito couldn’t stand looking at Sora when his sunshine personality disappeared. “Right. I’d like rest.”

His words did the trick. Everyone slowly walked away, but Hinata stayed, arm still curled around Nagito’s waist. “You’ll need a place to stay the night.”

“Oh… uh… we were just going to stay in the ship…” Sora rubbed his head.

“We got extra cottages.” Hinata smoothly cut him off, “Some of us share cottages. You two can share one, if you don’t mind? The beds are big enough for two.”

“I…” Sora stopped, “Thank you. Please, lead the way. Sorry again…”

They walked in silence, Hinata letting them take the cottage Nagito barely used. Bidding them a good night, they waited until the two were inside before heading back to Hinata’s cottage.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Were the first words out of Hinata’s mouth the moment they were inside.

“I’m fine Hajime.” Nagito sighed, still rubbing his arm, “Just… still a bit startled.”

“You flew through the air like something was grabbing you.” Hinata firmly said, “Nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Well… something was grabbing me… magnet magic, right?” Nagito repeated Sora’s words.

“That was…” Hinata huffed, “Souda’s right… this is enough mind blowing for the night. Let’s sleep.”

Nagito didn’t need to be told twice. Quickly showering, not bothering to soak in the tub, Nagito was curled in the covers as fast as he could, Hinata joining him, holding him close.

~

The next day, Nagito woke to Hinata already sitting up, climbing out of bed. A large part of Nagito wanted to grab onto Hinata and force him to stay and cuddle, but he was probably going to lend a hand with the ship. Groaning and rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes, Nagito sat up and still managed to hug Hinata, draping himself over Hinata’s back, his arms curling around, resting on Hinata’s stomach.

“Good morning.” Nagito breathed into the side of Hinata’s neck.

“Good morning Nagito.” Hinata answered, angling a hand so he could pat Nagito’s leg awkwardly, “How’s your arm feeling?”

“Fine.” Nagito rolled his shoulder. “Nothing hurts.”

“It may get a bit sore later.” Hinata warned. “If that happens I can massage it.”

Nagito perked up. Perhaps he could lie a little later and get a massage anyways, “Okay.” He shuffled, still hugging Hinata, “You’re going to help again today?”

“Yes.” Hinata answered, “Now that… Sora and Riku don’t have to hide their magic from us, I suspect repairs will go faster.”

Right. That made sense. Nagito bit his lip. What else could their magic do? What else did they not show? The endless possibilities now presented with this fact made his head spin a little. Could they… heal things beyond what Riku did for Sora in the restaurant? Nagito looked at his arm.

“Nagito… I do need to leave soon…” Hinata wiggled a bit.

Tucking his thoughts away, Nagito snorted, “You can get out of my hold easily.”

“I don’t have to force you all the time.” Hinata sighed.

Nagito loosened his grip, “You could force me every so often.”

“… maybe later.” Hinata turned and pressed a kiss to the side of Nagito’s face before getting up.

Doing the same, Nagito made their bed mindlessly, going through the actions. Hinata returned with his face washed, combed hair, and clean clothes in his arms. Nagito traded places and went to the bathroom to wash up. By the time he was clean, Hinata was dressed, waiting by the door.

“You didn’t need to wait for me.” Nagito hummed.

“I wanted to.” Hinata answered, “We can get breakfast together before I run off to help.”

Nagito smiled, “Sounds good. Just… let me get changed.”

~

With a full stomach, Sora set out, back to the beach, to their ship. Work started almost immediately, with the aid of magic now an acceptable option. Happy to be more help than just pointing things to Souda or Hinata, Sora happily volunteered to waste his magic on minor things. Riku gave a long look when he immediately whipped the Kingdom Key out, but let Sora do what he wanted. By the time lunch rolled around, Sora was sure they’d be able to leave soon, perhaps in the evening or early the next day.

Calling a break, Souda and Hinata insisted they return to the restaurant to get out of the sun, be somewhere with AC and fans, but to also see the others. Sora’s stomach did a few flips, particularly when he thought about Komaeda. Hinata and Souda hadn’t said anything, nor did Komaeda when they briefly crossed paths at breakfast, but silence only made his heart join in the flipping and twisting.

Hanamura had once again cooked something delicious, with tons of fish and a vegetable Sora wasn’t familiar with. It was white with some green leaves, but at least it was tasty. Few people were at the restaurant, only Komaeda, Hanamura, and Sonia. Sora deflated a little, but assured himself he’d get to meet the others again later.

Pulling a chair, Sora sat beside Riku, practically piling his plate as he sat down. “Thank you Hanamura!” Sora chirped, “This really is amazing!”

“No problem, any time.” Hanamura gave a wink, “I’m always happy when people enjoy my dishes.”

“So, where are the others?” Sora asked, satisfied with the amount of food he had.

“Around the island?” Hinata guessed, “We’re usually spread out during the day, but we at least attempt to have supper together.”

“Komaeda told me you have multiple islands.” Sora poked a little, “Could I see them?”

Hinata shrugged, “I don’t see why not. You could take a break from fixing the ship after lunch if you like. We’re moving faster than expected.”

Because of his magic. Sora nodded rapidly, “Magic tends to do that.”

The word lit a fire inside Sonia’s eyes. She politely tapped the table, “If I may ask you a question Sora?”

“Sure?”

“Can everyone where you’re from use magic?”

Harmless question. Sora shook his head, “No, not everyone.”

“How fascinating.” Sonia mused, “But it’s widely known?”

“Uh… no.” Sora looked at Riku as he talked, in case he blabbed a bit too much, “Truthfully, our home is similar to this island: warm, tropical, no magic inherently present.”

“So…” Hinata cut in, “It depends on location?”

Riku answered for Sora, “It isn’t a question of location, just of who.”

“… so, it’s person specific.” Komaeda summed up.

“Yup.” Riku set his fork down, “I’m done eating. I’ll go back to the ship.”

Wait. What? Sora gaped, “How?”

“You’re just too busy talking.” Riku flicked his ear lightly. “Hold off the tour of the island until we’re done with the ship.”

Sora pouted and rubbed his ear, “Ok… fine.”

Inhaling his food at a rate that would have left Kairi scolding him, Sora bounced up, thanking Hanamura one last time, and went back to the beach, feeling Souda and Hinata follow him. However, when he turned to see them, he noted Komaeda had followed. Sora bit his lip. He still hadn’t asked about his arm. Waiting until Souda and Hinata joined Riku at the ship, Sora bounced over to Komaeda, who had taken a seat under a palm tree near by.

“Hey… Komaeda?” Sora called out.

“Yes?”

“How’s your arm?” Sora asked, “Feeling okay?”

Komaeda gave a small smile, “It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay…” Sora tried to read Komaeda, see if he was lying. He couldn’t get anything. If only he was as good as Riku was. “Sorry again.”

“Thank you.” Komaeda pushed his jacket off his shoulders a little, “It’s so hot.”

Sora felt the question fill his mind. He tried to not stare at the jacket, but Komaeda noted, laughing a little. Sora’s ears burned and he wanted to walk away, back to the ship, but he couldn’t do that.

“My arm overheats.” Komaeda waved his left arm, “Sometimes Kazuichi claims I can fry eggs on it.”

“But… don’t you overheat in that jacket?” Sora couldn’t help but ask.

“I’ll overheat regardless.” Komaeda snorted.

What a shame… and he lived on an island. Not much Komaeda could do about a metal arm and heat. Sora looked down. The burning question, one he had thought of, but just recently crawled from the depths of his mind was how Komaeda got the metal arm. The personal nature of such a question wasn’t lost on Sora and he wasn’t about to ask it and potentially dig into Komaeda’s past. Still, there had to be something he could do about that arm…

His eyes lit up. Sora summoned his keyblade, feeling the familiar weight in his hand. Komaeda pushed back a little, eyes widening slightly at the action. Sora tilted it towards him.

“What are you doing?” Komaeda asked.

“I can cool your arm for you, if you want.” Sora offered, “Just a minor blizzard spell.”

“You… can do that?” Komaeda didn’t turn him down, “… sure you can’t just heal my entire arm?” He stopped after that, giving a strangled laugh, “Forget I said that. Sure, cool my arm down.”

That tone… Sora could taste the bitterness and longing, sweet and untamed. He shoved that away and focused on the spell, making sure to not put too much in. It worked and soon Komaeda’s arm was slightly frosted over. Komaeda shrugged off his jacket, leaving it in the sand, and poked his arm with his right hand.

“It’s cold.” He muttered.

“Right!” Sora let his keyblade disappear from his hands, “It should hold for a while. If you want me to recast it, just tell me.” He rubbed his head, “I best go help with the ship.”

He bounced off, approaching the ship carefully. Most of the exterior was fixed, not a dent in sight. The interior was also mainly fixed, though the crack on the screen’s corner was still there. Riku was also inside, poking at some buttons, their main menu for the ship up, everything as it should be.

“Did you try communications?” Sora asked.

“No, not yet… at least not with others around.” Riku answered, still poking at things, “I don’t know how they’d react to King Mickey.”

That was true. Sora could barely remember how he felt when he first met the King, along with Goofy and Donald. It was all a blur now, the only markers small blips of strong emotion, acting as bookmarks to the events he experienced as a keyblade wielder. Still, with their luck, it would be disastrous.

“But what if we leave and nothing happens?” Sora pointed out, “We should at least try someone. Perhaps someone in Traverse Town?”

Riku hummed, “I’ll try that in a moment. How’s the outside?”

“Hot.” Sora answered, “I cooled down Komaeda’s arm for him.”

Riku turned around, eyebrow raised, “I meant the ship, but you cooled his arm?”

“Oh. The ship is fine.” Sora flushed, “and uh… yeah, I did. I can’t help but wonder how he got that arm.”

“Or how that Saionji girl’s leg is in a brace.” Riku said.

What? Sora stared. Saionji… the girl in the bright, colourful clothes. “She has a brace?”

“I could tell when we walked.” Riku said, “She was slightly limping.”

Komaeda’s words flooded in his mind. Could they fix that? Sure, he couldn’t replace lost body parts, but Saionji’s limp… was that a possibility? It had to be. If he could heal from magic based attacks, surely, he could heal a physical ailment.

“You’re thinking of healing her.” Riku easily called him out, “It’s worth a shot, though I don’t know if she’d let you close enough to do it. Not after what you did to Komaeda.”

“That was an accident.” Sora retorted, still blushing. “And you think I could?”

Riku shrugged, “King Mickey once told me magic could heal most things, though sometimes if something is done with enough darkness and malice it becomes harder to heal, sometimes impossible.”

“I’ll ask her.” Sora tucked the information away. “Later. I’ll go distract Souda and Hinata so they don’t hear you testing communications.”

“Thanks.” Riku simply said.

~

The ship was fixed before supper. Nagito stared at it from a short distance. In the sand, Sora and Riku sat, flopping down. No doubt they’d track sand into the restaurant, causing Hanamura to freak. Or maybe Hinata would make them clean it up without magic… though Nagito wasn’t sure if their magic worked like that. Maybe he could ask them later…

Wait. They’d leave soon. Their presence was only fleeting, a blip in the neutrality of their lives on the island. Nagito had almost forgotten. The two had caused more excitement than the past couple of months combined. It was almost a shame they had to go.

His arm had long lost feeling cool, but with the sun down, it was okay. Nagito wished they could stay if only for the relief Sora’s magic gave him. Maybe he could talk to Souda later, see if a cooling system was plausible.

“Food! Food!” Sora was practically shouting as he sat up from the beach, sand already falling out of his clothes.

“You’re going to wash up first.” Hinata warned, “Other wise Hanamura will roast you.”

Nagito laughed when Sora’s face paled. Meanwhile Riku gave a huff.

“We’ll just use the shower in the cottage then.” Riku rolled his eyes.

Nagito stopped laughing. That cottage, even though he didn’t spend a lot of time in it, was his. “No way.” He called out immediately, “That’s my cottage. You’ll get sand everywhere.”

“No way.” Souda grinned, “With your luck you won’t have any sand inside what so ever.”

…

“Fine, but if they mess it up, they’re cleaning it.” Nagito added hastily.

“I promise I’ll be careful.” Sora said.

“No promises.” Riku said at the same time.

Nagito sighed and put a little belief into his luck. “I’m holding you to it. Let’s go. You don’t have the key.”

Riku gave a laugh and Sora looked away. Nagito blinked.

“We can open the door, no problem.” Riku calmly said.

Oh… well Sora could summon a key… that surprisingly made sense, yet the information dully bonked Nagito on the head, “Wait… besides throwing magic around your key can actually… do what a key does?”

“Usually.” Sora replied.

“Can we go now?” Riku asked, “I can feel sand in my shoes.”

“Baby.” Sora muttered, running away when Riku swiped at him.

Silently, Nagito followed everyone back to the hotel, following Sora and Riku to his cottage, a bit of curiosity burning inside of him. With a flick of his wrist, Riku summoned his bat like key and with a small glow, the door to the cottage flicked open.

“There you have it.” Riku’s key disappeared, “Problem solved.”

“What even is that?” Souda muttered beside Nagito.

“A keyblade.” Riku answered, “We’ll meet you at the restaurant.”

That was a dismissal if Nagito ever heard one. Easily listening, Nagito left, heading to the restaurant, numbly sitting down, watching as everyone slowly trickled in. Riku’s words and the events of the past day floated. It was obvious Riku and Sora weren’t telling them everything. Not that Nagito blamed them. They weren’t telling them anything.

“Feeling okay?” Hinata suddenly sat beside him.

“Yeah I’m good.” Nagito leaned into his side, “Just the more they answer the more questions I get.”

“Me too.” Hinata laughed lightly, “Their ship for example, it’s amazing. Beyond just the way it’s designed… it’s definitely too advanced for here. Makes me wonder why I even doubted they weren’t from this world.”

“Another world…” Nagito mused, “I wonder if all the worlds are as screwed over as ours?”

“Not scientifically possible.” Hinata immediately replied. “Relative theories and alternate universe theories dictate that…”

Nagito raised an eyebrow, looking over at Hinata, who flushed. “Kamukura bleeding in tonight?”

Hinata rolled his eyes, the blush still sticking, “You know it doesn’t work like that. He’s not a parasite that takes over my body.”

“Sounds like a bad sci fi novel when you put it like that.” Nagito mused, “Or a bad smut novel.”

“Nagito…”

He was saved from whatever else Hinata was going to say by the arrival of Sora and Riku, clean and sand free. Nagito silently hoped his luck held out, other wise those two would have some cleaning to do.

“Thanks for letting us use your shower.” Sora sat down, hair dripping a little, “It’s clean. No sand. I promise.”

Nagito’s lips twisted, unsure if it was true, but Souda butted in, elbowing Nagito’s other side, “See? Your luck kicked in.”

“Luck?” Riku inquired.

“It’s nothing really.” Nagito muttered, rubbing the side Souda elbowed, “It’s my thing I suppose.”

“Your… thing?” Sora repeated, “I didn’t know luck was a thing.”

“It is for him.” Souda said for Nagito, “But it’s more in control now. Thank god.” He laughed.

“I thought you said magic isn’t a part of this world?” Sora asked, “That sounds rather magical.”

Nagito laughed dryly. His luck. Magic. He wished. “No, I’m just lucky. Just like Souda’s a mechanic or Hanamura a cook.”

Sora’s eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, but Riku barely twitched, his eyes slightly widening at the information, “So… you’re equating your luck to a skill?”

“Basically.” Nagito shut that conversation branch off “So, your ship is fixed. That means you’ll leave us soon?”

“Yes, we will.” Riku answered, not hesitating. “After supper.”

Sora whined, “But Riku… I want to see the islands… tomorrow?”

Riku deflated a little. Nagito had to hold back a small smile. “Fine… but tomorrow morning, we leave.”

“Thanks, Riku!”

Sora leaned into his side for a moment. It was so similar to what Hinata did with him that this time, Nagito couldn’t help but grin.

~

Riku sighed as they exited the restaurant. Somehow, everyone had died down with the questions, though he knew it was probably more out of wariness than curiosity dying. Sora was bounding across the bridge, the one by the beach, chatting with Hinata and Komaeda. Riku shoved his hands into his pockets. He could still see the darkness clinging to them, Hinata’s swirling around his head and Komaeda’s wrapping around him like a snake draped over his shoulders, curling around his left arm.

Not that Riku was one to talk. He touched his head, remembering how the Darkness felt swirling inside, how reason was slowly eaten away until he was so deluded he thought he still had it. Sometimes, Riku could see the Darkness around him, clinging like dirt to film. Those days, having Sora around eased everything, soothed the aches in his heart. Riku stopped, frowning. He sounded like a love-struck fool…

The next island was round, with not much, just bridges connecting to the other islands and a park with a large statue. Riku let Sora do their talking, chatting about everything, insisting on seeing all the islands. Hinata and Komaeda obliged and next thing Riku knew, they were heading to the second island.

It was almost identical to the first one, just with a library and an actual beach house. Sora immediately ran over, rushing inside, but Hinata and Komaeda lingered outside. The next island, however, was different. Riku stared. It was like an old Western… complete with tumbleweeds. Even the building designs felt right out of an old black and white movie, with blocky appearances, but so far, manageable.

Riku immediately retracted the thought when they arrived at the fourth island. Even in the dark, he could make out the pink, the brightness of the island. Sora immediately launched into how he had to go on the rollercoaster. It looked fun, with the loops and turns. Riku followed, watching as Hinata offered to operate it for them.

A round later, Riku hobbled off, feeling a bit of a smile creep on his lips. Sora was already demanding another round and Riku was sure he would get his way.

“I can operate it.” Komaeda offered, “Go on Hajime.”

“You sure?” Hinata asked.

“Yes.” Komaeda shoved him, “Have fun.”

In the moonlight, Riku could see his arm, the metal one, gleam. There was definitely a story behind it, one that related to the Darkness swirling around his arm. It was nudging questions in Riku’s mind, but he held his breath. It wasn’t his business.

“You’re staring at my arm.” Komaeda said, the rollercoaster already off, “Want to ask something?” He sighed softly, “I think Sora did too, earlier on the beach.”

Riku turned his head, “I’m not going to pry. We all got things we’ve done we aren’t proud of.”

Komaeda looked at his arm for a long while, “You two haven’t asked us a lot, like why we’re the only ones on this island, or what happened to the rest of this world.”

“Is it something we need to know?” Riku mildly asked, tone level.

“I don’t know.” Komaeda honestly said, looking at him, “But consider this… payment for telling us a bit about you.”

“You want to make things equal?” Riku asked.

“Sure,” Komaeda snorted, a small smile stretching across his face, “Why not?” He looked at Riku directly, his eyes glazed and warm, “I cut it off myself.”

The shiver that ran down Riku’s spine wasn’t warm. It was cold, icy, poking into his bones. “What?”

“My arm.” Komaeda waved it, “I cut it off and replaced it with a dead girl’s arm.”

A… dead girl’s… arm? Riku was suddenly glad Sora wasn’t around to hear. Komaeda continued.

“This world fell to ruins thanks to one girl, Enoshima Junko. She manipulated the masses, brainwashed thousands, all in the name of Despair.” Komaeda said, “Despair spread across the world, and in my fit of Despair I cut off my arm and replaced it with her dead one.”

Despair. Darkness. Wasn’t it the same thing? Riku’s eyes widened. The world destroyed by… people? No Heartless? Just… people? All the other worlds they had visited… were taken over by Darkness, the people powerless. And this world did that on their own? No Heartless helping? Riku let out a strangled laugh, caught by the bitterness filling his tongue.

“You destroyed your own world?” He breathed out.

“I helped, yes.” Komaeda calmly said, “It was more of a… group effort.” He hollowly laughed, “But things got better, the 78th class defeated her, Future Foundation stepped in, Naegi brought us here…”

“Future Foundation?” Riku remembered that. It was one of the first things asked of them, if they were members, “Future Foundation helped?”

“Yes, they want to restore the world back to being peaceful.” Komaeda answered.

“So… why are you wary of them?”

“They don’t like us… or more importantly some of their higher ups don’t.” Komaeda answered, “We did help destroy the world. We are accountable.”

Like he was… when he gave in. Riku nodded, “I understand, but this… Naegi… likes you... Helped you too?”

“Yes, he did. He’s a very Hopeful person.” Komaeda said with such force Riku could hear the capital in the word hope.

The rollercoaster stopped, breaking their conversation. Sora bounced out, cheeks a bit red from the wind, and stumbled over to Riku, curling his arm around him. “That was fun!” He cheered.

“Glad to hear that.” Komaeda’s smile was back to a warm one, “We have one more island left. Want to see it?”

“Yes!” Sora cheered.

Riku felt Sora grab his hand and tug him away, forcing him to break his gaze with Komaeda. His words and explanation sat heavy in his mind and Riku couldn’t get the image Komaeda painted in his head out. Ruined buildings, chaos, Komaeda fallen so far, he would mutilate himself willingly…

“Riku?”

Sora was looking up at him, eyes wide, “You okay?”

Shoving the images away, Riku managed a smile, “Yeah, I’m good.”

~

Telling Riku about his arm was harder than Nagito thought. He hadn’t had to explain it to someone before. Everyone knew, either from the files, or through their jumbled memories. When he and Hinata went to bed, Nagito curled into him, feeling sadness well from his chest, tightening and pressing into his lungs.

“Nagito?”

“Sorry Hajime.” Nagito forced air through his lungs, “Just… it’s been a long day.”

“Right.” Hinata’s fingers caught his hair, “I forgot to comb your hair.”

“Tomorrow.” Nagito didn’t want to sit up, “I’ll let you play with it all day if you like.”

“Deal.” Hinata said with a smile in his voice. “Sleep well Nagito.”

“You too Hajime.”

~

Sora caught Saionji by the pool with Koizumi, just before breakfast. Sleeping in a real bed had been a great luxury he gladly partook in, especially after the tour and walking. As soon as he saw her though, Sora stared at her leg, the offer jumping to his lips. Riku was insistent on leaving after breakfast, so he had limited time. Racing over, Sora stopped so suddenly he could hear his shoes against the concrete.

“Good morning?” Koizumi asked, “You don’t need to run like that.” She added.

“Sorry…” Sora rubbed his head, “I uh…” Crap, he couldn’t freeze up like this. “I want to ask Saionji something.”

“Me?” She pointed to herself, “What?”

“Your leg… it’s in a brace, right?” Sora started.

Saionji glared at him, “What of it?”

Koizumi placed her hand on Saionji’s and Sora realized (rather embarrassingly) that she had prosthetic fingers sprinkled on her hands. He tried to not stare.

“I uh… was wondering if I could try healing it for you?” Sora offered quickly, “I mean I’m not sure if I could… Riku says if the injury was done with too much malice or Darkness it won’t heal and…”

Saionji’s eyes were wide and her hands were gripping Koizumi’s so tightly, her knuckles were white. “You’re… kidding me…” She whispered, “Just… magic and poof, my leg healed?” She glared at him, “You got some nerve. Thinking all my pain can just be cured with a wave of your oversized key. I don’t need charity or senseless pity.”

… that… Sora shook his head, “I’m not doing this out of charity or pity.” Sora explained, “It’s because I want to. I like helping people.”

“You do, huh?” Saionji eyed him, “You do it just to make yourself feel better.”

“Uh…” Sora blinked, “Yes? I mean… I feel great helping people because they’re happy. We’re always happy when people lend us a hand, right?”

“You… you’re a naïve… coconut!” Saionji suddenly accused.

“Co…coconut?” Sora gaped, “What…?”

“Your hair is all over the place, like the fuzz on a coconut!” Saionji snapped, “Or like those anime protagonists Souda likes reading in manga.”

… Sora tilted his head, “So… that’s a no to my offer?”

Saionji stopped, her mouth closing and opening multiple times before she glared at him again, “I… don’t ask this out of the blue!” She pointed at him, “You can’t just drop this casually and expect me to have an answer.”

Oops. Sora felt his heart sink. He should have asked earlier… “Sorry…”

“Hiyoko…” Koizumi spoke, soft, touching Saionji’s hand with her free one, “Maybe… you should take the offer. At least let him try.”

“…what?” Saionji looked at her, “But… why me? You’re hurting… but he didn’t offer to heal you.” She glared again at Sora.

“Sorry… once something is gone…” Sora tried to explain.

“How corny.” Saionji rolled her eyes, but immediately looked at Koizumi, her gaze immediately softening, “You… think I should say yes?”

“I don’t think we have to suffer needlessly if there is a solution to ease our pain.” Koizumi responded, “If we do that we’re just torturing ourselves and trying to be martyrs.”

Saionji immediately looked over at Sora, “Fine. Heal me Coconut Boy.”

“Coconut…” Sora was never going to let Riku or Kairi hear that.

Summoning his keyblade, Sora pointed it to Saionji’s leg. Muttering a healing spell, he watched as the flowers and leaves appeared over her knee cap. She jerked her leg, probably at the cold sensation, and then relaxed when the magic disappeared.

“Go on… stand up.” Sora urged. Did it work?

Saionji slowly rose, gripping Koizumi’s arm. For a moment, Sora felt his heart sink, as Saionji’s grip was still tight on Koizumi… but then is loosened, her eyes widening. Without a pause, she opened her clothing enough to get to her leg. Sora looked away immediately. He could hear the sound of metal falling to the ground. When he felt it was clear, he looked back at them.

 Saionji was still holding onto Koizumi, her stance shaky, her leg quivering, but she was upright.

“How… is it?” Koizumi asked quietly.

“It… still hurts a bit…” Saionji muttered, “But… I can stand… that might mean… with some therapy…” She looked at Sora, her cheeks suddenly pink, “I guess… thank you.” She hastily said.

Sora felt his keyblade disappear, his heart light and warm. Yes, he didn’t fully heal her leg, probably due to the circumstances surrounding how she got the injury… but he had eased her pain a little. Perhaps, crash landing on this world wasn’t a waste.

~

True to their word, Riku and Sora immediately got onto their ship after breakfast. Saionji stood straight, tall, which only reminded Nagito of the excitement breakfast had brought with her walking on two legs, no limp, though a bit shaky. The pride gleaming in Saionji’s eyes and the happiness in Koizumi and Sora’s eyes explained everything.

Everyone was gathered on the beach, watching as Sora and Riku said good byes (Sora more so than Riku), and entered the ship with little fan fair. Silence filled the beach as suddenly, the ship lit up, floating, hovering on the sand, before it started to fly off without any runway to gain speed. In and instant, as fast as they had arrived, they left, leaving on the imprints in the sand and Saionji’s healed leg as evidence of their stay.

“Well… they’re gone.” Hinata muttered, breaking the silence.

Soon, everyone eased away from the site, until only Nagito remained, Hinata at his side. The beach felt empty, silent, like something was missing, an important part of it taken away.

“Have any plans for today?” Hinata asked.

“No?” Nagito shoved his thoughts away. “Why?”

“I believe I promised I’d comb your hair? I also remember being promised I could play with it?” Hinata continued.

Nagito laughed, curling closer to Hinata, “Right. I did promise… let’s go then? I think we had enough excitement for a while.”

“Yes… we did… I blame your luck entirely.” Hinata poked his side.

His luck. Right. Nagito wiggled from the poke, but didn’t stop smiling. Maybe… they’d visit again. Nagito immediately snorted. Wishful thinking, but then again, this was exciting and if things got a bit too boring, he could always rely on his luck once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Braced Leg: I headcanon that Saionji broke one of her legs badly while in Despair so she couldn't dance properly.
> 
> Names: Since in the KH lore no last names are given, I decided it was not a thing in their world, so having two names stumps Sora.
> 
> Dry Clothes: I headcanon that Sora and Riku's cothes have built in magic that dries them faster so they aren't distracted during battles.
> 
> Keyblades: I just picked their default ones because... lazy? (Though, side note, Oathkeeper is one of my fav blades just saying.)
> 
> Magnet Magic: I honestly can't remember if it appears in KH2, (especially with the games jumbled in my mind), but I desperately wanted to use it.
> 
> White with green leaves: It's bok choy because it's one of my favourite vegetables.
> 
> Cooling Komaeda's arm: I like to believe magic can be used at varying levels once it's mastered.
> 
> Malice and Darkness Injuries: Again, my headcanon that certain injuries cannot be healed with there was too much darkness in the injury (sort of like how Braig/ Xigbar's scars from Terra never healed).
> 
> Healing Saionji's leg: I decided to not have magic fully heal the injury because 1) I do think that's unfair to have her magically healed and 2) She did it while in Despair which ties into my note above.


End file.
